This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning textile fiber tufts and is of the type which has an essentially closed cleaning housing provided with a perforated inner separating wall which divides the housing into a dust and waste collecting chamber and a fiber collecting chamber. The perforations (openings) provided in the separating wall have a predetermined size to permit passage of wastes in the fiber but to prevent the fibers from passing therethrough. There is further provided an air stream guide element for guiding the fiber present in the air stream onto the separating wall. The guide element and the separating wall are movable relative to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,114 discloses an apparatus in which the air stream guide elements are movable components providing a cyclically reversed guidance of the fibers present in the air stream. The fiber-laden air is guided back-and-forth transversely in front of the separating wall. It is a disadvantage of this arrangement that the reversal of air flow is abrupt and further, that the air guide elements add to the structural expense of the apparatus.